Dirt trap for gas supply lines



June 19, 1934. c. H. MORROW DIRT TRAP FOR GAS SUPPLY LINES Filed Jan. 16, 1932 INVENTOR (Xi/wire fi. Harrow ATTO RNEY Patented June 19, 1934 UNITED. STATES DIRT TRAP FOR GAS' SUPPLY LINES Clarence H. Morrow, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Hotstream Heater, Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 16, 1932, Serial No. 587,016

3 Claims. (cl. 183-108) My invention relates to dirt traps for supply lines for gas burners or the like and, particularly, to a dirt trap for preventing the flow of dirt or like foreign matter with the gas stream to the usual theremostatic control valve and to might interfere with its operation, and which device moreover, is satisfactory for the purpose in any position in which it may be used.

Another object of my invention is to' provide a dirt trap embodying means, in this instance a, filter, for removing dirt or like foreign matter from the gas stream flowing to the pilot burner that usually forms a part of such gas burners, to prevent clogging of the pilot burner supply line which, in practically all instances, is substantially small and presents only a small gas stream passage. This filtering means is preferably arranged to act in addition to and in conjunction with the trapping means for dirt or like foreign matter flowing to the main burner.

Various other objects and advantageous features of my invention may be seen in the following description and one embodiment thereof may be seen in the accompanying drawing wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a dirt trap embodying the features of my invention; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional-view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and showing the filter which is efiective on the gas stream flowing to the pilot burner; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the usual arrangement of a main gas burner, a pilot burner, the supply lines thereto, and the accessories therefor.

The invention is capable of use in any type of gas burner and gas supply arrangement and in the drawing, for purposes of illustration, has been shown in connection with an arrangement embodying a main burner element 1, a pilot burner 2, gas supply lines 3 and 4 for the burner elements 1 and 2 respectively, a main gas supply line 5, and a thermostatic valve control diagrammatically shown and indicated by the reference numeral 6. With a structure of this type including a thermostatic control valve as indicated at 6, it is the custom, in assembly, to lead the gas to the thermostat from above, due to the fact that the thermostat is usually located at a higher level than the burner and the simplest known piping arrangement carries the gas downwardly to the thermostat and then further downwardly to the main burner element 1.

Referring to the drawing, the thermostatic regulator 6 may be of the type shown in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,785,387, issued December 16, 1930, to which reference may be had for details not herein disclosed and, as in this United States Letters Patent, the present invention is directed to a dirt trap 7 disposed either above or to the side of the thermostatic control valve 6.

In accordance with this invention, the dirt trap 7 comprises a hollow casing 8 having a threaded extension 9 for attachment to the thermostat 6 and provided with a laterally extending, externally threaded boss 10 to provide a means for attachment of the gas supply pipe 5 thereto. Within the chamber of the casing 8 isa suitable bail-ling member, such as the tube 11, which may be a simple piece of pipe suitably anchored within the casing 8 in the manner shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. More particularly, this bafile may be a piece of tubing split longitudinally and of suitable size to be held frictionally in position when driven into the threaded extension 9. As shown, it extends upwardly to a point substantially above the lateral gas inlet opening in the boss 10.

As shown in Fig. 1, an auxiliary baflle member, such as the tube 12, is provided in the chamber of the casing 8 and is suitably anchored therein. Similarly to the bafiie tube 11, this baffle tube 12 may be a piece of tubing split longitudinally and of suitable size to be held frictionally in position when driven into and through an externally threaded extension 13 on the casing 8 opposite to the extension 9 thereon The baflle tube 12 extends into'the chamber of the casing 8 in a direction opposite [to the baffle tube 11 and is of such size as to surround the free end of, or, in other words, telescope with bafile tube 11 with considerable space left between the inner wall of the baffle tube 12 and the outer wall ofthe baffle tube 11, the-baflle tube 12 extending downwardly overthe free open end of the tube 11 for a considerable distance.

Also, in accordance with my invention, a filter or screen 14 is disposed abovethe end of the battle tube 12 and is held in position, in this instance, by being disposed at the outer end of the threaded extension 13 and being clamped against such extension end by an internally threaded cap member 15 adapted to interflt with the threaded extension 13 and having a shoulder 16 adapted to engage one side of the margin of the filter or screen 14. The cap member 15 is provided with an internally threaded extension 17 for the re ception of one end of the supply line 4 leading to the pilot burner 2. Of course, the screen or filter 14 may be disposed in the bafile tube 12 or in any other desired position in the supply line leading to the pilot burner 2.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bafile tubes 11 and 12 are slightly off-center relative to the chamber in the casing 8 and provide a greater space on one side of the inlet chamber than on the other. The parts are thus so arranged to provide a greater gas inlet area directly at the entrance to the chamber, whereby thepressure of the gas flowing to the burners is not materially reduced. When connected as shown in Fig.

4, the dirt trap bafiies the gas flowing to the.

thermostatic control valve 6 and the pilot burner 2 from the gas supply pipe 5. That is, the inflowing gas first strikes the outer wall of the baffle tube 12 and, since the lowermost end of the baffle tube 12 is substantially level with or is lower than the bottom of the gas inlet of extension 10, the inflowing gas is forced to flow downwardly to enter the free open end of the bailie tube 12, whereby any dirt or likeforeign matter in the gas stream will settle out and collect on the bottom of the chamber, the gas then flowing upwardly within the baflie tube 12 to the free open end of the baflie tube 11 and thence downwardly to the thermostatic control valve 6, and thence on downwardly to the burner element 1. With this construction, dirt and any other foreign matter carried by the gas stream collect in the bottom of the chamber in the casing 8 and is not carried upwardly within the baffle tube 12 to the free open end of the baffle tube 11. Thus, dirt or like foreign matter carried by the gas stream does not gain entrance into the thermostatic control valve 6 to possibly interfere with the proper operation of the valve.

It is well understood that the gas supply line, such as the supply line 4 to the pilot burner 2 is relatively small as compared to the supply line 3 for the main burner element 1 and the danger of clogging of the pilot burner supply pipe is therefore relatively greater than the danger of clogging the supply pipe to the main burner element. Therefore, the filter or screen 14 is provided, in a position such that all gas passing to the pilot burner supply pipe must first pass through the filter screen which is of a nature to remove any further dirt or like foreign matter in the gas stream that is not removed by the tube baffles provided and functioning in the manner hereinbefore described. Thus, in addition to the baffling effect of tubes 11, 12, an additional means is provided for safeguarding from clogging the small supply'pipe to the pilot burner.

One of the features of the present dirt trap is that it is capable of use in other positions than when vertically disposed as in Figs. 1 and 4. That is, the trap may be so located that the lateral gas inlet connection 10 is disposed vertically upward and the threaded extension 9 leading to the thermostatic control valve is disposed horizontally. In this position, the bailie tubes 11 and 12 lie horizontally but, any foreign matter con.

ducted by the gas inlet pipe 5 to the dirt trap lodges in the inlet chamber in the casing 8,due to the bafiiing effect .of tubes 11, 12 the gas travelling downwardly before entering the baffle tube 12 at its free open end. With the dirt trap disposed horizontally, the dirt or like foreign matter collected from the gas stream will lodge in that portion of the inlet chamber of the casing 8 indicated by the numeral 18.

Referring to the drawing and preceding description, I have provided a dirt trap effective to remove dirt or like foreign matter from the gas supply line leading to both the main burner and the pilot burner elements. This is accomplished by providing a means for causing the incoming gas to travel downwardly and then upwardly or laterally whereby the heavier particles. of dirt or like foreign matter will fall out of the stream and remain in the dirt trap. The removal of dirt or like foreign matter is further enhanced by the provision of what may be termed a double bafliing means of such nature as to cause the incoming gas to travel in a tortuous path in order to reach either the thermostatic control valve or the supply line to the pilot burner. A means has also been provided for filtering and thereby purifying the gas flowing to the relatively small supply pipe for the pilot burner, which means is effective to prevent entrance of dirt or like foreign matter into this supply line to clog such line. Various other advantageous features of the invention will be readily apparent.

What I claim is:

1. A dirt trap for gas supply lines and the like, said trap comprising a one-piece casing member having aligned end outlet openings and a side inlet opening, said outlet openings being of different cross-dimensional size and each having the outer endof a corresponding cross-dimensioned 11'0 baflie tube secured therein, the inner ends of said bafile tubes lying within said casing member in overlapping or nested relation and the inner end of the larger tube extending across but spaced from said inlet opening.

2. A dirt trap for gas supply lines and the like, said trap comprising a one-piece casing member having a pair of aligned, externally threaded end extensions and an externally threaded side extension, each of said extensions being provided 120 with a through opening communicating with the chamber of said casing member, the openings of said end extensions being of different cross-dimensional size and each having secured therein the outer end of a correspondingly cross-dimensioned bafiie tube, the inner ends of said bafiie tubes lying within the chamber of said casing member in overlapping or nested relation with the inner end of the larger tube extending across but spaced from the opening of said side extension. 0

3. A dirt trap for gas supply lines and the like, said trap comprising a one-piece casing member having aligned end outlet openings and a side inlet opening, said outlet openings being of different cross-dimensional size and each having the outer end of a corresponding cross-dimensioned baflie tube secured therein, the inner ends of said bafiie tubes lying within said casing member in overlapping or nested relation and the inner end of the larger tube extending across but spaced from said inlet opening, a filter member resting on one end of said casing member and extending across the adjacent outlet opening thereof, and an apertured cap member secured to said end of said casing member for. maintaining said filter member in assembly therewith, the aperture of said cap member being in alignment with said adjacent outlet opening.

CLARENCE H. MORROW.

IDO 

